Fruit-gatherer.



N0. 635,3!6. Patented Oct. 24, I899. P. M. GUTLEBER.

FRUIT GATHERER.

(Application filed Nov. 9, 1898.)

(No Modal.)

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PHOENIX MOSES GUTLEBER, OF LIBERTY CORNER, NEW JERSEY.

FRUiT-GATHERER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,316, dated October24, 1899. Application filed November 9, 1898. Serial No- 695.963. (Nomodel.)

To ctZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PHOENIX Mosns GUTLE- BER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Liberty Corner, in the county of Somerset and Stateof New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Fruit-Gatherer, of whichthe following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in fruit-gatherers.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction offruit-gatherers and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensiveone adapted to enable fruit to be rapidly gathered without bruising orotherwise injuring the same and capable of enabling the operator toreach high fruit and to draw the limbs downward within easy reach, sothat the fruit may be rapidly picked by hand.

Another object of the invention is to provide a receptacle for fruit andto enable the latter, whether picked by hand or by the fruitgatherer, tobe conveniently deposited in the receptacle.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fruit-gathererconstructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsectional View. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the fruit-engaging head.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

1 designates a bag fruit and designed to ator by means of a belt orstrap 2, having a buckle or other suitable means for adjusting it to thewearer. Communicating with the bag or receptacle 1 are chutes 3 and4,which are connected at their lower ends and communicate with the bagor receptacle through a single opening. The chutes 3 and 4:, which areconstructed of fabric or other suitable material, diverge, as shown, andthe chute 4, which is shorter than the chute 3, is designed to bearranged at the breast of the operator and is provided with a flaringmouth 5, of leather or other suitable material, adapted to hold thechute distended, so that fruit may forming a receptacle for be attachedto an oper-- be conveniently deposited into the same. This chute t isdesigned to receive fruit picked by the hand of the operator, and it issupported by means of a shoulder-strap 6, designed to extend over one ofthe shoulders and under the opposite arm of the wearer. The mouth 5 ofthe chute 4 is provided with an eye or ring, and the strap 6 is providedwith a snap-hook 7, adapted to engage the eye or ring 8 of the chute 4.

The long chute 3, which is supported by a pole 9, has its mouthstiffened, and it is provided with a tapering sleeve or socket 11 forthe reception of the pole 9, and it has a head 10, consisting of a platehaving a curved top portion arranged substantially at right angles tothe other portion, the head being substantiall y L-shaped. The head10,which has its top portion curved over the mouth of the long chute 3,is provided with a series of parallel openings or slots which divide thecurved portion into a series of hooks adapted to engage the fruit andcause the same to fall into the chute 3. The upper end of the rod orpole 9 is tapered to fit the sleeve or ferrule, audit is adapted to bereadily removed from the same and to be inverted to engage a hook 12with a limb to enable the operator to pull the latter downward withinreach, so that the fruit may be rapidly picked by hand. The hook 12 isprovided with a band or collar 13, which is secured to the pole by aclampingscrew 14. WVhen the long chute is not in use, it is supported bya hook 15 of the strap 2, and it may be readily hung thereon.

The invention has the following advantages: The fruit-gatherer, which issimple and inexpensive in construction, is conveniently operated, and itenables fruit to be picked from elevated points on a tree, and it isalso capable of permitting the operator to draw limbs downward and pickthe fruit by hand. The long and short chutes deliver the fruit to thebag or receptacle, and the short chute is provided with a flaring mouthwhich is arranged within easy reach. The pole is detachably connectedwith the long chute, and when the latter is not in use it may beconveniently carried by suspending it from the hook of the strap orbelt.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of this invention.

\Vhat is claimed is- 1. A fruit-gatherer comprising a receptacle havinga strap or belt for securing it to the wearer, the short chute having anenlarged flaring mouth and provided with a shoulderstrap adapted tosupport the mouth of the short chute at the breast of the wearer toreceive fruit picked by hand, a long chute havin g a fruit-pickingdevice, both of said chutes delivering into the receptacle and a polesupporting the long chute, substantially as described.

2. A fruit-gatherer comprising a receptacle provided with a belt havinga supporting device, the long and short chutes both delivering into thereceptacle, the short chute being provided with means for attaching itto the wearer adjacent to the shoulders, so that fruit may be readilyintroduced into it by hand, a head mounted on the long chute at theouter end thereof and adapted to engage the fruit and provided with aninverted socket, and a detachable and reversible pole having one endremovably fitted in the socket to support the long chute, and providedat its other end with means for engaging the limb of a tree, the saidsupporting device being adapted to receive the long chute when the poleis detached from the socket, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PHOENIX MOSES GUTLEBER.

\Vitnesses:

AUG. VANDERVEER, FRANK W. SoMnRs.

